United
by fuer grissa ost drauka
Summary: Clark goes down to the caves... if I write any more for this I'll ruin the story for you. Please R&R. Clois! IT'S BACK!
1. Prologue

**Title: United**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Disclaimer: Let me get this straight, _you_ think that _I_ own Smallville... whispers does anyone know the phone number for Belle Reeve?**

**Spoilers: anything in season 4 is fair game**

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**Prologue:**

Clark Kent strides purposefully into the main chamber of the caves. He glances down to the key in his hand and then to the wall before putting the Kryptonian key into the wall. The wall opens, emitting a blinding light from the room beyond. Clark walks into the room and around a circular stone table with Kryptonian symbols. He places the key in the slot and a high pitched buzzing begins to be emitted by the key. Clark drops to his knees, holding his head as the buzzing intensifies.

Kal-El stands, a fiercely determined look in his eyes, and flies out of the cave, never noticing the stunned observer watching from behind an outcropping.

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Who do you think was watching? 


	2. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** still don't own any of it_

_**Author's Notes:** I've got the first 6 chapters of this written so it shouldn't take me too long to update this._

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**Chapter 1:**

**Earlier that day:**

Lois Lane looked up from her computer as Chloe walked in carrying a stack of folders.

"There you are," Chloe said as she dropped the stack on the desk. She picked up the first one and held it out to Lois. "I need you to investigate what's happening in the caves. There have been reports of high pitched signals coming from them. Police scanners have been picking them up recently."

"Can't I get something else?"

"Come on, Lois, I really need you to cover this. Usually, I'd get Clark to, since no one knows those caves better than he does, but I haven't been able to find him all day."

"Fine," Lois said as she took the folder that Chloe had handed her.

"I can't believe Chloe talked me into this," Lois muttered as she crept silently into the caves. _What's Smallville doing here?_ She had been about to make her presence known when Clark put the key into the wall. Lois shielded her eyes from the blinding light as she struggled to see what was going on. When Clark walked into the chamber, Lois moved to a position that both concealed her and allowed her to see everything. She nearly ran to his side when he fell to his knees, holding his head in agony; but an unfamiliar voice boomed in her head: _Stay!_ She gave the voice a moments consideration before disregarding it. Before she could even move though, Clark stood and rocketed out of the cave. _How did he..._ Just as Lois was about to leave, the voice boomed again as a blinding light washed over her, surrounding her.

_'Why are you here?'_

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm her to investigate the high pitched noises being picked up on radios. Who the heck are you anyways?"

_'I am Jor-El, the true father of Kal-El. He must complete this phase of his destiny first. Your time is not here yet.'_

"What are you talking about? What destiny?"

A tendril of blue and red light extended, seemingly out of nowhere, and the cave painting of a man and woman together became visible. Lois walked over to the painting as if in a trance. She slowly reached out to touch the painting. As her fingers brushed against the painting, it pulsated for an instant. "What does that mean?" she asked hesitantly.

'Destiny. Kal-El can not, however, move on to this part of his destiny until his quest is complete.'

"Who is this Kal-El you keep mentioning?"

Jor-El paused, as if trying to determine whether or not she really didn't know. 'Kal-El is the last son of the once great planet, Krypton.'

"Once great? What happened?" Lois gasped as the beam of blue and red light shot through her. It felt as if she had been dunked into icy water without a chance to get a breath. After a moment, her surroundings changed and the temperature became comfortable. "What is this?" Lois asked as she watched a child being lowered into a ship by his parents.

'Kal-El's past, from the time he began his journey to earth.'

The ship closed, hovering in the air, and rocketed out of the room. Mere moments after the small ship escaped Krypton's atmosphere, the planet exploded, creating a shockwave that the small craft barely escaped.

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Lois watched as the ship sailed rapidly towards earth, followed by several meteor fragments. Parts of the meteors began breaking up, and Kal-El's ship erupted into a ball of flame as it streaked through the sky towards a field stretched out below. The ship impacted the ground sending up a spray of dust that mixed with the plume of smoke from its entry. A red pickup truck swerved to avoid the smoke and dirt but flipped over into a shallow ditch. 

Lois strained her eyes to see what was going on as the smoke cleared and the dust settled. Kal-El got out of his ship and wandered over to the truck. He peered inside.

Lois's brow furrowed in confusion when she saw who was inside the truck. The Kents. _Wait! Does that mean that Clark is... No, he couldn't be. Then again, he just flew out of the caves._

The Kents got out of the truck and Martha wrapped Kal-El in a blanket as she picked him up. "Where did he come from?" They followed the crater to Kal-El's ship.

"We can't just keep him, Martha," Jonathan said to his wife. "What'll we tell people? We found him in a cornfield?"

"No," Martha said seriously, "he found us."

Jonathan sighed, "Let's get him back to the farm then."

By the time they got back to the flipped over truck, Kal-El was holding onto Martha's hand as if his life depended on it. He suddenly pulled away and walked over to the truck. His two small hands grabbed the truck and lifted it into the air before turning it over and setting it down gently, leaving the Kents and Lois stunned.

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_Hope you guys like this._


	3. Chapters 2 and 3

_**Disclaimer:** still don't own any of it._

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Chapter 2:

Kal-El landed in an alley across the street from The Foundation and went inside. "Where is it!"

"Hello, Kal-El."

Kal-El spun around to see Dr. Bridget Crosby. "Where is the stone!"

Dr. Crosby opened a hidden safe in the wall and took out a metal box. "Here is what you seek, Kal-El. I hope you will have the strength to complete this phase of your destiny when the time comes. For everyone's sake."

Kal-El accepted the box and watched with a confused frown as Dr. Crosby walked out of the dimly lit room. Kal-El left the building and went back to the alley. He bent his knees slightly and launched himself into the air.

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**Chapter 3:**

The images of Kal-El's past stopped as suddenly as they had begun, and Lois saw him enter the hidden chamber of the cave. She ran over to him. "Clark!" When he didn't acknowledge her presence she reached for his hand to turn him to face her, but her hand passed through him. Lois stumbled back a couple steps in surprise.

_'You are no longer in the same dimension as Kal-El.'_

"Then where am I?"

_'In a place called the Phantom Zone.' The bright light enveloped Lois causing the caved to fade from her vision._

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As Kal-El placed the second stone of power on the stone table, he felt a familiar calming presence. It wasn't Jor-El. Kal-El could sense his presence, nor was it Lara's. The connection he felt with this presence felt different than the one he shared with either of his biological parents. A shiver ran up his arm, and Kal-El frowned in confusion. It wasn't cold- cold didn't even affect him. He shrugged off the feeling, almost reluctantly, and as soon as he removed his hand from the stone, the presence disappeared. He frowned again, but flew out of the cave.

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Lana Lang saw Kal-El land outside her window. There was a flash of purple light and a boom of thunder. Isobel lifted her arm towards Kal-El, a ball of purple light floating between her index and pinky fingers. She scowled in frustration as he rocketed into the sky. There was another blinding flash of purple light, and Isobel was gone. 


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: **still don't own any of it_

_You guys probably won't like me much after this chapter..._

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**Chapter 4:**

Kal-El was about to open the wall again when he was distracted by a glowing image. The image that depicted him and his soul mate was glowing brightly. As if in a trance, he sauntered over to it and reached out to gingerly touch the glowing figures. Kal-El shielded his eyes from the blinding flash of light. He blinked several times, clearing the spots from his vision, and saw Lois slumped on the ground, unconscious. Kal-El turned around when he noticed a purple flash of light and found Isobel standing there.

"That stone belongs to me!" Isobel said in a menacing tone.

"They were not meant for you," Kal-El warned.

"Nor were they meant for you," she continued, disregarding his warning. "They were not meant for anyone. The one who hid them, left them for when he returned."

"The one who hid the stones was Dre-El of Krypton. I am his great grandson and heir, Kal-El. It is my destiny to unite the stones and unlock the knowledge of my people."

Isobel paid him little heed as she threw him into the wall with a shockwave of power and held him there with bonds of magic. She slowly strode over to him, knowing he couldn't move.

"You're really starting to get on my nerves," came an annoyed voice from behind her. Isobel turned around just in time to see Lois's spin kick coming towards her. The force of the impact spun her around as she collapsed, unconscious before she even hit the ground.

With Isobel unconscious, the force holding Kal-El against the wall instantly vanished, and he fell to the floor.

Lois rushed over to him and knelt by his side. "Clark? Are you ok?"

Kal-El's eyes snapped up to meet hers. "Clark Kent is dead. I am Kal-El of Krypton." He stood and started towards the cave wall, but Lois immediately moved in front of him, blocking his path.

"Are you going to explain what's going on, Smallville? Or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

He gave her a patronizing smirk and lifted her by the waist, setting her down to his right. "Do not interfere," he said, not looking back as he walked over to the wall and put the key in. He pressed the correct combination of symbols, and the wall slid open. Before Lois could stop him, Kal-El had placed the final stone in its position on the table, uniting them. A tendril of blue, red, and yellow light shot into him, lifting him several feet into the air. Lois watched, horrified, as the beam vanished and Kal-El fell to his knees on the ground. He let out an agonizing scream as a flash of light emanated from him. The light flickered as Kal-El and Clark Kent separated into two separate people, and again as they merged into one. The light vanished, and Clark collapsed on the ground.

Lois was instantaneously at his side. She checked for a pulse, but wasn't able to find one. She pounded her fists against his limp body as tears flowed down her cheeks. "You can't die on me, Kent! You just can't!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: _still don't own it_

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**Chapter 5: **

Jor-El had transported an Isobel free Lana back to her apartment, with no memory of what had occurred; but Lois was hardly aware of anything other than Clark. "Jor-El!" She waited through a few moments of silence before yelling out to Jor-El again, angrier this time. "What did you do to Clark? How can he fulfil his destiny if he's dead! How can we be destined to be together if he's dead?" her voice, which had started off angry, now only sounded defeated as she cradled Clark's head in her lap.

_'He's not dead, merely unconscious,'_ Jor-El's voice said assuringly in Lois's mind.

Lois jerked her head up in surprise. "What did you do to him!" her former anger now returning.

_'He is absorbing and processing the knowledge from the stones. I put him in a state of unconsciousness so his mind can process the information faster. It will not harm him.'_

Lois looked down at Clark and worriedly brushed aside a lock of hair on his face. "When will he wake up?"

_'That depends on him, and how fast he is able to process all the information.'_

Lois just nodded numbly.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer:**_ _still don't own it

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**Chapter 6: **

Clark opened his eyes and tried to sit up. He stopped when pain wracked his head and laid back down against... Lois! He quickly sat up, disregarding the pain in his head,and moved off of her. He looked around for the first time and realized that he was still in the caves. 'What happen-.' He remembered parts of what happened after he had become Kal-El, but most of it was still fuzzy. He glanced back over at Lois, leaning against the cave wall. Even as disheveled as she was, she still looked- Clark quickly banished that train of thought. 'I can't like Lois. She's rude, annoying, disruptive...' Another thought occurred to him, 'She must have been really worried to have stayed with me.' He shook his head to dispel the notion. That was highly unlikely. He was, however, abruptly brought out of his thoughts when Lois stirred beside him.

Lois stirred slightly, but was instantly brought out of her sleepy state when she absently reached her hand down to smooth back Clark's hair only to have her hand meet air. Startled, she looked around. "Clark?" Once she saw him sitting on the ground a few feet away, leaning lightly against the rock wall, she rushed over to him and hugged him fiercely. "Clark! Are you all right?"

"I feel like I got hit in the head with a baseball bat," he remarked, "but other than that, yeah, I'm fine."

Lois suddenly smirked at him. "What kind of bat?"

"What do you mean?" Clark asked confused.

"Wood, metal, or green Kryptonite?" She nearly burst out laughing at the purely terrified expression on his face. "Because the wood would shatter, the metal would bend, and the green Kryptonite would actually hurt you."

"Wh- What- What's green kryptowhatever you just said?"

"Jor-El showed me everything, ET."

"Jor-El!"

"Yeah. He told me some interesting things."

"Such as?" Clark asked, curious now.

Lois grinned teasingly at him. "He told me all about a certain cave painting."

Clark's expression turned serious. "Do you know who Segeith is?"

Lois looked startled by the question. "No, he didn't mention anyone named Segeith."

"Then what ones did he mention?" Clark asked in an irritated tone. Why was she always able to get under his skin more than everyone else put together, he wondered.

"He told me about the painting of Numan and his soul mate."

Clark opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. "Do you-" he paused. "Do you know who it it?" he finally asked.

Lois nodded, but didn't offer any more information about it.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would Jor-El tell _you_ -no offense- about _that_? Unless..." A look of realization, shock, and horror crossed his face.

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A big Thank You to everyone who reviewed. 


	7. Chapter 7

**_Disclaimer:_ **still don't own it.

**_A/N:_** thanks, everyone for the reviews.

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**Chapter 7: **

Lois nodded encouragingly, thinking he finally understood.

"You're dead, aren't you?"

"What!" Lois's jaw slackened in pure disbelief when she realized he was serious. "How can you think I'm dead, if I'm right here having a conversation with you!"

"Because Jor-El's done this before," he explained. After a moment, he hesitantly ventured the question he was almost afraid to know the answer to, "So, are you alive?"

"Yes, I'm alive, Smallville!"

"Then why would Jor-El tell you about the painting and everything else?" Clark asked, confused.

Lois sighed in exasperation. "You can be really dense sometimes, you know that, Smallville."

Clark thought about it for a moment. His eyes widened slightly. "You- You're-"

"Yeah, took you long enough."

"Wow. This is kinda-" Clark started, but Lois cut him off.

"Weird."

"Just a little."

"Yeah, it's not every day you get pulled into a cave wall, either," Lois snarked.

"No, usually it's only two or three times a week," Clark said seriously.

"Ugh, you've gotta be kidding me," she said, completely believing him.

"Yeah, I am," Clark said with a grin.

"Funny, Kent. Real funny," she said as she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Seriously though, it doesn't happen very often; but you got off easy. Usually, when I get pulled in, it takes a long time for me to get out."

"I only got out because you touched the painting, Clark. Jor-El said that when you were ready, the symbol would sort of draw your attention to it and you'd touch it."

"Ready for what?" he asked, curiously.

Lois smiled at him. "For this," she said and pulled his head down to hers. After a brief moment of surprise, Clark began to kiss her back just as passionately.

Lois had moved from beside Clark to a position half-way on top of him with one knee in between his legs. Her fingers worked quickly over the buttons of his flannel shirt while he took off the jacket she had been wearing over a tank top, neither one of them breaking the kiss for more than a split second while they worked.

They quickly separated, both with flustered expressions, when they heard a loud throat clearing. Both Lois and Clark scrambled to their feet and looked around, only to find that there was no one there.

'I wonder if it was Jor-El,' Clark thought to himself.

"No, it wasn't him. The voice sounded feminine," Lois responded.

"Wasn't who?" Clark asked, confused.

"Jor-El," Lois said. "You just asked if it was him."

"No, I didn't," Clark said with a puzzled look. "I didn't say anything."

Lois shot him an odd look. "Yeah, you did. I heard you; you said, 'I wonder if that was Jor-El.' "

"I thought that, but I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything."

Lois turned away and started walking around. 'So, you're telling me that we have some kind of telepathic link?'

"Maybe... I don't really know. Maybe I just didn't realize that I was thinking out loud or something."

She turned back to him with an odd look on her face. "You just heard that?" He nodded. "Clark, I was testing it to see if we really did have a telepathic link. I made sure I wasn't speaking," she moved to stand in front of him as she spoke.

_'She is right, Kal-El.'_

"Mom?" Clark asked.

_'Yes, Kal-El, I am Lara, your mother. When you united the stones, my spirit was able to communicate with you. On Krypton, soul mates share a telepathic link; and sine you are a Kryptonian, my son, you both share a telepathic link,'_ Lara said as her shimmering figure became visible.

"See, Smallville, I told you so. Remember, Lois Lane is always right," Lois said with a teasing grin, as she nudged him with her elbow.

"Whatever you say, Lois," Clark said, trying to fight a grin of his own.

"That's the idea," Lois said, sounding as if she was a teacher who had just heard her student grasp a difficult concept. Clark just rolled his eyes at her.

With an amused smile, Lara watched Lois tease her son for a moment before breaking into their bantering. _'I'm sure neither of you knows this, so, I'll give you a warning now, in advance: these caves store everything that happens here in memory banks. Memory banks which your children will one day be able to access,' she said pointedly. 'Don't do anything here that you wouldn't want your children to see.'_

Lois's face flushed with embarassment while Clark was staring at Lara in utter amazement. "Smallville?" Lois questioned, concern lacing her voice.

Clark glanced at Lois before turning back to Lara. "You mean... we're compatable?" he asked, almost afraid to hope.

_'Of course, my son,' _Lara said with a reassuring smile. _'Your father and I chose to send you to this planet because our species are so alike.'_

Lois wiped away the tear taht rolled down Clark's face and slipped her hand into his.

"I never thought I'd be able to have kids. I mean, I always wondered; but I never really believed it was possible," Clark said as a grin split his face.

"Well, now you know that it is, Clark," Lois said quietly.

Clark nodded, the large grin still on his face. A dull gleam caught his eye and he looked over in that area. He finally saw, underneath the painting of Numan and his soul mate, the bracelet that Chief Willobrook had given him. He reluctantly disengaged his hand from Lois's and walked over to pick it up. Lois was looking at him with a curious stare as he walked back, carrying the piece of jewelry.

"That looks familiar," Lois commented, wondering where she had seen it before- after all, you dont just see something like that in your local jewelry store.

Clark nodded. "It's the same bracelet as in the painting. I don't know how it got here though. It's been in my loft for the past two year. How did it get here- Mom?" Clark looked around but was unable to find Lara. Knowing that he would be able to talk to his biological mother again, Clark turned back to Lois nervously. "Since this is, uh, meant for you, do you wnat it?"

"Sure, why not," Lois said as she held out her wrist. "Don't be so nervous, Smallville, it's not like you're proposing or anything. Is it?"

Clark smiled as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, his hand lingering there, "No." A thought occurred to him. "At least, I don't think-" he stopped suddenl, when a beam of light shot out of the gem and hit the painting of him and Lois.

_'Kal-El, my son,'_ Jor-El's voice boomed. _'You have found the one you are destined to be with. This bracelet seals the union of you two souls as one. Under the law of Krypton, you and your soul mate are united in marriage from now until the end of time.'_

The beam of light vanished along with Jor-El's voice. Lois and Clark looked at each other in shock and disbelief. Lois was the first to break the stunned silence, "What did he just say?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all the reviews guys. Sorry it took so long, but I haven't had a computer much lately.**

_**Disclaimer:** still don't own any of it

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**Chapter 8:**

"I must have misheard him; I could've sworn he just said we were married."

"Well, I must have misheard the same thing then. You could've warned me about this, you know. I mean, most girls want some warning before the wedding- I happen to fall under the category of girls who want a warning!"

"I had no idea this was going to happen," Clark said defensively.

"I know; I guess, I'm just a little overwhelmed right now."

"You're not the only one," Clark muttered under his breath.

"We need to get back to the farm," Lois suddenly said, panicked.

"Lois, relax," Clark said patronizingly. "My parents won't be back until Saturday afternoon."

"Clark, it is Saturday. You were unconscious all night."

"Aw, crap."

"C'mon, let's get going," Lois said as she grabbed Clark's sleeve and ran out of the caves, dragging him behind her.

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"Lois, I can run faster than this," Clark said as he looked over at the speedometer. She was going 30 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Lois stopped suddenly. "Fine, Clark. You think you can run faster than I drive, then you can 'run' back to the farm. If I get there before you though, you don't get to complain about whatever speed I'm driving at anymore -and no flying."

"OK," Clark said, grinning, as he got out. "No flying; running only."

Lois drove off as soon as Clark shut the door, occasionally glancing through the rear-view mirror at him standing there. She had a self-satisfied smirk on her face as she watched him get smaller and smaller. Once he was out of view, she turned her attention to the road ahead as she drove to the Kent's.

Lois looked out the driver's side window when she heard a light tapping noise, and her eyes popped wide open. "Holy-" Determination flashed in Lois's eyes, and she floored the gas pedal. To her surprise Clark was effortlessly keeping up with her, at over 100 mph. When they neared the farm, Clark pulled ahead and ran as fast as he could the rest of the way to the house. Lois slowed as she went up the drive, knowing he was already there waiting for her. Sure enough, he was sitting on the front porch, slouched against the railing, and grinning broadly at her. She got out of the car, slamming the door behind her in frustration. "You could've told me about your superspeed thing," said a fuming Lois.

"No, I couldn't have," Clark said, shaking his head.

"And why not?"

"Because if I did, I wouldn't have been able to see the look on your face when you first noticed me running along side you," his grin getting wider by the second.

"I'm gonna kill you, Kent," Lois said as she lunged at him, easily pinning him down on the porch. "So much for your superstrength, huh, Smallville." Their eyes locked, and Clark blushed lightly as he realized what position they were in. Lois traced Clark's jaw line lightly with her thumb, causing a shiver to run down his spine. She leaned in very slowly, stopped a hair's distance away from him, and whispered, "Never mess with a Lane, Kent, or she'll mess with you. Got it?" He swallowed loudly and nodded quickly. "Good," she said as she gave his chest a mocking pat and quickly got up off of him to walk into the house.

Once he heard the door shut behind her, Clark closed his eyes and let out the breath he'd been holding. When he finally opened his eyes and stood up a few minutes later, he found Lois standing at the door watching him with a wide grin.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to recover from that," she teased as he warily walked into the house. Clark rolled his eyes in response.

"You're just lucky I'm not on red Kryptonite right now," he said in a mock-threatening tone. Clark tilted his head slightly to one side as he listened to a vehicle coming up the drive. "Well, it looks like we got back just in time."

Jonathan and Martha walked in, each carrying an armload of groceries. "Hi, Clark. Hi-" Martha stopped as she saw the bracelet on Lois's wrist. Clark superspeeded to catch the bags before they hit the ground and set them on the table before moving to stand next to Lois again.

"Clark?" Jonathan questioned sternly.

Clark grinned slightly at Lois before turning back to his dad. "You didn't think I'd get married to someone before I told her about me, did you, Dad?"

Lois elbowed Clark in the ribs, "Ugh, you didn't tell me, Jor-El did."

"Fine, the point, though, is that you knew my secret _before_ we got married."

"What did he just say?" Jonathan asked Martha.

Lois turned towards Clark. "Funny, that's just what I said."

'This isn't exactly the best time for joking around, Lois,' Clark said telepathically to her.

"Married, Clark?" Martha asked.

"That's what Jor-El said," Lois explained.

"Jor-El!" Jonathan and Martha exclaimed simultaneously. "What does Jor-El have to do with this?" Jonathan asked.

Clark opened his mouth to say something, but Lois cut in, earning a slightly aggravated glance from Clark. "He's got a lot to do with everything that's happened, but when Clark put the bracelet on my wrist, Jor-El said that under Kryptonian law, we're married."

"OK. I want to know _everything_ that happened since we left, Clark," Jonathan said.

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"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Lois said as she watched Clark unload the truck bed full of hay bales.

"Yeah, I thought they would've freaked out when you -oh, so casually- mentioned the cave incident."

"Well, we are _technically_ married, Smallville. I thought they would have been more upset about that part- especially since this is your second marriage in the past year," she said with a wry smirk.

"Ha ha ha. Alicia drugged me with red Kryptonite. That's why I married her."

"OK. You keep mentioning 'red Kryptonite'. What the heck is it?" Lois asked slightly annoyed.

"The red meteor rocks. They affect me like a drug. I basically lose all inhibitions and do whatever I feel like doing at the moment without a second -or rational, for that matter- thought."

"That'd be interesting to see. Too bad I've never been around when you've been affected by red-" she stopped short when she noticed Chloe walking towards them. "Hey, Chlo."

"Hey, Lois, Clark. Did you finish that article on the cave noises for me, Lois?"

"What cave noises?" Clark asked curiously.

"Sorry, Chloe," Lois said, not paying much attention to Clark's question at the moment. "I wasn't able to find out anything about the noises."

"Clark, maybe you should help Lois with this investigation -since you do know more about those caves than anyone else," Chloe said with a pointed look at Clark -a look that Lois didn't fail to notice the significance of. "Police scanners have been picking up noises that sound like a... high-pitched hum. I was able to trace its origin to the caves."

'Do you know what the noise was, Smallville?' Lois asked telepathically.

'Yeah, it's how Jor-El contacts me. I usually hear the noise coming from the key, but it originates from the caves since that's where Jor-El is.'

"If you guys don't want to look into this, I can add it to my extensive 'to do' list," Chloe said, mistaking their silence for a rejection.

"No, it's ok, Chloe. Lois and I will look into it for you," he said quickly, ignoring the look he received from Lois.

"Ok," Chloe said with an odd look. "I'll leave you two to cover that. Bye then." Chloe gave them each a quick hug before leaving.

Once Chloe's car was far down the road, Lois turned to Clark curiously. "Does Chloe know your secret? Or part of it?"

"No, why?" Clark asked confused.

"It just sounded like some of what she said was meant to have a hidden meaning."

"Life in Smallville isn't making you paranoid, is it, Lois?" Clark asked with a teasing look.

Lois rolled her eyes at him. "Not paranoid, Smallville, just cautious."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: don't own any of it**

**Chapter 9:**

A middle-aged man walked nervously down the hall that led to the boss's office, following the intimidating guard. At the door, the guard ushered him into the room. The boss didn't look up as he entered the room and stood in front of the desk.

"Uh, sir?" When the boss neither looked up at him nor acknowledged his presence in any way, Owens took it as his cue to continue. "There was a… uh… problem at the site last night."

"Why wasn't I informed of this sooner, Mr. Owens?"

"The surveillance tapes just came in," Owens said as he set the tapes on the boss's desk.

"Mr. Owens, what is the problem?" the boss questioned coolly, glancing at the tapes before turning his attention to Owens.

"I- I- I'm not sure, sir. First there were the noises, and then the tapes, and then the strange readings on our instruments."

"What strange readings, Mr. Owens?" the boss asked in a slightly exasperated tone.

"Our computers showed that _something_ came out of those caves and _flew_! It was moving very fast- faster than any aircraft we have, sir."

"Anything else, Mr. Owens?"

Owens thought for a moment. "No, sir. Just that tape."

The boss nodded once. "That will be all then, Mr. Owens." Once Owens was at the door, the boss spoke up again. "One more thing, Mr. Owens. This stays on a need-to-know basis."

Once Owens left, the boss played the tape.

_Clark walks into the caves and up to the octagonal keyhole. He glances down at something in his hand and then lifts his hand towards the wall. The image turns to static._

The boss watched in silence, his gaze cold and hard. He rewound the tape and zoomed in on what Clark was holding: the key.

**A/N: I know it's short, but this is mainly introducing a new part of the plot. Hope you guys'll like it, and thank you everyone who has reviewed this story.**

**If anyone can answer this question correctly, I'll get started on chapter 10 right away: _Who is the boss?_**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: still don't own any of it.

* * *

**

**Chapter 10:**

_(One week later…)_

Lois walked into the Torch. Chloe was sitting behind her desk, typing up her latest article. "Chloe, we need to talk."

"Sure, Lois," Chloe said as she clicked 'save' and exited out of her article. "About what?"

"Clark."

Chloe shifted slightly in her seat. "What about him?"

Lois locked her gaze onto Chloe. "You know."

"Know what, Lois?"

"Friend with the secret, Chlo. You need to tell him that you know."

"But you told me-"

"Chlo," Lois interrupted as she sat down beside her younger cousin. "It's not about trust, not to Clark. The think that keeps him from telling you is concern for your safety."

"Why would my safety be the issue?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

"Clark told me that the FBI once captured his friend Pete Ross and interrogated him, trying to find out Clark's secret. He said that was why Pete had to move."

"Why did he tell you then?"

"He didn't. His father did."

"Mr. Kent? That makes even less sense."

"No, not Mr. Kent. Clark's biological father. Talk to Clark though, Chlo?"

Chloe nodded.

* * *

"It's amazing isn't it?" Lex said as he finished climbing the stairs to the loft.

Clark looked up from his telescope, "What is?"

Lex moved to stand next to Clark and looked up at the star-filled night sky. "All those billions of stars out there, and we have the arrogance to believe that mankind is alone in the universe."

Clark simply nodded, not sure what else to do.

Lex handed Clark a slim folder.

"What is this?" Clark asked curiously as he opened the folder.

"Last week some of my scientists discovered high pitched signals being emitted by the caves."

Clark nodded. "Chloe had me and Lois investigating that for the Torch, but we weren't able to find out anything."

"Several of my scientists believe that the caves were… 'calling' something- or someone; and that the signals stopped because whoever- or whatever- it was calling, answered," Lex said as he studied Clark's face, searching for something that would tell him what he needed to know.

"But, Lex, how could the caves be calling someone?" Clark asked, feigning confusion.

"I'm not sure, Clark, but the caves called, and I intend to find out who- or what- answered. I'll see you later, Clark."

Clark watched as Lex walked down the creaking, wooden stairs and out of the barn.

* * *

Lex smirked as he drove away from the Kent farm. Clark had just confirmed what he had suspected.

* * *

I don't trust him," Lois said as she sat up on the couch.

Clark turned to her with a concerned look, "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Lois shook her head. "No, I was awake before Lex came. I was just pretending to be asleep, and I really don't think you can trust him," she said.

"I don't," Clark said simply.

She was about to launch into why Lex Luthor couldn't be trusted when his words sank in. "Wait. You don't?"

"No, I'd like to, but I don't. I haven't since I found out he was still investigating me."

"Oh," Lois said quietly. She turned when she heard the stairs creak and smiled when she saw who it was. "Chloe, hi."

"Hey, Chlo," Clark greeted.

"Hi. Clark, I need to talk to you about something."

Clark glanced at Lois and saw her watching Chloe with a look of approval. 'What does she want to talk about?'

'Why don't you ask her?'

'But you know?'

'Yes.'

Clark sighed. "Why does it seem like I'm always the one left in the dark here?" he asked Lois, only realizing he'd spoken out loud when Chloe shot him a look of confusion.

Lois laughed as Clark's face reddened in embarrassment. 'Good job, Smallville, Chloe is looking at you like you're losing it.'

"I'm _not_ losing it!"

"Are you feeling okay, Clark?" Chloe asked as she shot him an odd look.

Lois laughed harder as Clark's face turned an even brighter shade of red.

"Yes, I'm okay," Clark grumbled as he shot a look at Lois. "What did you want to talk about, Chlo?"

"I probably should have told you this a while ago, Clark," she took a deep breath, "I know your secret."

"What- What are you talking about?"

'Relax, Smallville, she really does know, and she isn't going to tell anyone.'

"How did you find out?" Clark asked.

Chloe looked confused at the sudden change in Clark's attitude. "Before Alicia died, you got a call from her. She said that her car wouldn't stop. You did your roadrunner act and caught the car, only Alicia hand teleported us out moments before. I know that the meteor rocks make you sick. I know about the heat vision, x-ray vision, and the hearing too."

Clark nodded thoughtfully, processing the new information.

"Clark why didn't you ever tell me you found your biological father?"

Clark took a deep breath. She knew this much, so, why shouldn't she know the rest? "Because I'm not from her, Chloe. Before Krypton, my home planet, exploded, my parents sent me here. They transferred their spirits into the caves so I can talk to them."

'Do you want me to tell her the rest?' Clark asked Lois.

'Yeah, we should tell her.' "Chloe," Lois said as she stood and moved to stand by Clark, "we have something else we need to tell you."

**TBC...**

Thanks for the reviews; hope you like this chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

"You know how I'm always spending time down in the caves?" Chloe nodded and Clark continued. "Well, I'm Naman."

'Ya know, Smallville, when you said 'the rest' I thought you were talking about our Kryptonian marriage.'

'I was, Lois, I'm getting to that part.'

"And I'm sure you know about the three stones of power. My Kryptonian ancestors hid them, and once I found them and united them, I was able to talk to my biological mother, Lara. Before I united the stones Jor-El, my biological father, trapped Lois in the cave walls to keep her out of the way for the moment and told her about my alien heritage as well as what one of the cave paintings means. Jor-El told her that she was depicted in one of the paintings."

Chloe looked over at Lois, slightly alarmed. She noticed, for the first time, the bracelet on Lois's wrist. She pointed at her cousin's wrist as her jaw went slack. After a moment, Chloe had recovered enough to get out, "That's- that's-"

Lois nodded. "The bracelet from the painting."

"After I united the stones," Clark continued, "I gave it to Lois since Jor-El and Lara both said that Lois is my soul mate- plus, there was the telepathy for evidence-"

"Telepathy?" Chloe asked, curiously.

"Kryptonian soul mates share a telepathic link, I guess, and since ET here is Kryptonian- we've got the whole mind meld thing going on," Lois said.

Clark rolled his eyes at Lois's Star Trek analogy. "When I put the bracelet on Lois, a beam of light shot out of the gem and hit the painting of Naman and his soul mate. Then Jor-El sort of performed a Kryptonian wedding."

"Run that by me again?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

"Under Kryptonian law, Clark and I are married," Lois explained. "Are you upset, Chlo?"

"No. Actually, yeah, I am upset! How could you not invite me to the wedding!"

"It's not like we were planning on getting married in the caves, Chlo."

"A cave wedding? That's gotta be every girl's dream wedding," Chloe said sarcastically.

"Yeah, Smallville's real big on the whole romance factor," Lois said just as sarcastically.

"Like I knew _that_ was going to happen," Clark said indignantly.

"He _is_ your father," Lois said as she turned to face him.

"And so it's automatically my fault!"

"Yes, exactly," Lois said, grinning up at him proudly.

Clark rolled his eyes, but the effect was ruined when he broke into a wide grin.

"Clark!" They heard Jonathan yell from outside.

"Gotta go," Clark said and dropped a quick kiss on Lois's forehead. "Bye Chlo," he said before superspeeding out of the barn.

"So, you're not upset?" Lois asked once Clark was gone.

"About you and Clark being married? No," Chloe said with a slight shake of her head. "I always figured that you two would eventually get together. Everyone did. Besides, I've had my eye on someone else for a while now."

"Who?" Lois asked with a grin, wondering who the guy who had been able to get her cousin's attention was.

"You don't know him," Chloe said evasively. "At least you and Clark aren't flirting without realizing it anymore."

"It was that obvious?" Lois asked, a slight embarrassed blush creeping over her face.

Chloe nodded. "Of course. All your _fighting_, someone would have to be galactically stupid _not_ to realize that you two had a thing for each other. Oh God, that was so annoying when neither one of you would admit that you even liked the other."

"What? We like fighting with each other. It's always fun."

"Uh, huh. Now is the fighting fun, or the making up?" Chloe asked with a knowing smirk.

"To be honest? Both," Lois said with a grin.

"So does that grin mean that you and Clark have… you know?"

"No," Lois said quickly. "Neither one of us is really ready for that yet. We're still getting used to the whole being together thing."

"I guess that makes sense," Chloe said thoughtfully. "After all, you guys were sort of taken by surprise with the sudden wedding without having time to explore your feelings for each other."

Lois nodded. "Clark and I decided that for now, we'd just take it one day at a time. See what happens from there."

* * *

Lex walked over to the hidden safe and opened it. He pulled out a file and closed the safe once again before returning to his desk and opening the folder. As he pulled out the papers and examined them, a malicious smirk spread over his face. Clark had unknowingly revealed that he knew more about the signals than he openly admitted. In fact, Lex would be willing to wager that Clark knew exactly who the caves were calling and what the signals meant. His thoughts were interrupted when the intercom buzzed annoyingly.

"Mr. Luthor, someone named Sommers is here to see you. He says you wanted to see him?" said the voice over the comm.

"Yes. Send him in, Ms. Watt."

Darren Sommers strode confidently into Lex Luthor's office and waited.

Lex handed Darren a portfolio that the man quickly looked through. "I want you to investigate him for me. Give me proof of anything… of interest."

"What could be so interesting about some Kansas farm boy, Luthor?"

Lex regarded him with a cold look and said curtly, "That is what I'm paying you to find out, Sommers."

* * *

Clark walked silently up to the loft and sat on the couch, watching Lois- who was looking through his telescope- with a contented smile. It seemed almost unreal that after years of feeling like an outsider, he finally felt like he belonged. Well, that wasn't really the surprising part, no, the part that surprised him most was that it was because of Lois Lane that he felt like he belonged.

* * *

Lois turned around and noticed Clark watching her with a distant look. "Hey, farm boy," she said as she sat next to him, leaning slightly against him. He blinked and a beaming grin spread across his face as his arm came up around her. Lois relaxed into his embrace. "What were you thinking about?" she asked curiously.

"I was thinking about you. About how, for the first time since I can remember, I don't find myself wondering what my life would have been like if Krypton hadn't exploded, because now I feel like I belong, and it's because of you. And," he paused, causing Lois to look up at him. He seemed to be gathering his courage. "And about how much I love you."

Lois smiled and leaned in closer to him. "I love you too, Smallville," she breathed, her mouth close enough to his that she could feel his breath intermingling with her own. Lois closed the miniscule distance between them, locking their mouths together in a passionate kiss.

Clark briefly wondered how Lois had managed to get onto his lap without him even realizing it, but his attention was almost instantly drawn back to the brunette who was now tangling one of her hands in his hair while her other hand slid under his shirt. Clark shuddered slightly as the tingling sensation, caused by the feel of her hands on his bare skin, ran all throughout his body.

When they finally broke away from each other, Lois settled herself next to Clark with her head resting lightly against his chest. She melted into his embrace as his strong yet comforting arms came up around her once again, holding her close and giving her a deep sense of security.

Clark watched as Lois fell asleep, stroking her hair lightly as his superhearing tuned in to her heartbeat. The gentle rhythm lulling him to sleep within just a few moments.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any of it.**

**Jim: thanks for your help with this chapter.

* * *

**

**Chapter 12:**

Lois blinked groggily. She frowned slightly in confusion when she realized that the loft's window was at her eye level. When she looked down, her eyes widened and her arms tightened around Clark's waist. "Clark," she said in a slightly panicked voice.

"Hmm?" Clark asked with his eyes closed, still half asleep.

"You're floating."

"Lois, I can't float."

"Then can you explain why we're hovering about four feet off the floor?"

At this, Clark's eyes popped open, and they crashed down to the floor. At the last second, he shifted Lois so she wouldn't be hurt by the fall.

Lois lifted herself a little off of Clark with one arm, looking down at him with an amused grin. "So, you can't float, huh?"

Clark looked up at her with a confused expression. "I didn't know I could. Well, there was this one other time I floated in my sleep."

"Maybe," Lois said thoughtfully, "your floating is triggered by whatever you're thinking - or in this case, dreaming - about." She felt Clark shift uneasily beneath her and looked at him suspiciously.

"What _were_ you dreaming about, Clark?"

"Umm," he said nervously, his eyes darting about wildly, looking for a possible escape route.

"Relax, Smallville," Lois said with an amused grin. "It's all right - as long as it was about me."

"Of course it was about you," Clark said honestly as he reached up and swept a strand of hair that had come loose, behind Lois's ear.

Lois smiled at that and leaned down to capture his lips with her own.

A few minutes later, Clark broke away slightly. "Did you hear that?" he asked quietly.

"I didn't hear anything, Smallville," Lois said as she pulled Clark's head back down to hers, making him forget about the faint sound he had heard.

* * *

Lana walked out of the Kent's barn silently and got into her car. She drove numbly down the long driveway and back onto the main road, her mind racing as she drove towards the Talon. She could hardly believe what she had just seen. Lana parked outside the Talon and nearly ran up to her apartment above the coffee house, attracting curious glances from several of the patrons. She closed the door behind her, leaning against it and sliding down to the cold floor.

It seemed like just as she was starting to get her life straightened out, it was spiraling into confusion all over again.

* * *

"'Morning, you two," Jonathan said as he worked on the tractor.

"Hey, dad." "Hey, Mr. Kent." Clark and Lois said simultaneously.

"So, what did Lana want?"

"Lana?" asked a confused Lois and Clark.

Jonathan frowned slightly. "Lana came here looking for Clark. She went into the barn."

Lois and Clark exchanged an uneasy glance. 'Do you think she saw me floating?'

'She probably saw _something_ since she didn't make herself known. This is all your fault, you know.'

'My fault?'

'Yes, your fault. If you hadn't started floating in your sleep-'

'That would also make it equally your fault.'

'How!'

'The dream _was_ about you.'

'I never said you could dream about me, Kent.'

'As a matter of fact, you did, Lane.' Clark grinned at Lois.

"Whatever, Smallville," Lois said, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance as she walked into the house. A small smile crept slowly onto her face as she mentally replayed their latest 'argument'.

"What was that ?" Jonathan asked a moment later.

Clark watched Lois walk into the house, a widespread grin on his face. "I think I just wont the argument," he said.

* * *

Darren frowned at the last thing the Kent kid had said. 'What argument,' he wondered. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any of it.**

**Chapter 13:**

'Just, please be subtle,' Clark said as he and Lois got out of the truck.

'Subtle is my middle name.'

Clark shot her a look that practically screamed _Yeah right_.

'What? You don't think I can do subtle?' Clark nodded. 'I can do subtle. You just watch.'

Clark shook his head slightly and followed Lois into the Talon. She instantly spotted Lana at a corner table and made a bee line for her. "Mind if we sit down?"

"No, not at all," Lana said with an uneasy look that neither Lois nor Clark failed to notice.

"Dad said you stopped by earlier, and-"

"Yes. Spill it. What did you see that made you high tail it out of there without a word and has you looking like a prisoner that's about to be executed?" Lois cut in.

'What happened to _"Subtle is my middle name"_?'

'I decided to change it to direct, so sue me.'

"Don't mind her," Clark quickly said. "She's just… caffeine deprived."

"So what if I am," Lois grumbled under her breath, "Doesn't change the fact that I want to know what she saw."

"I saw you and Clark making out on the floor, didn't want to interrupt 'cause that would've been awkward, so I left."

"See, I told you she didn't see us doing anything other than making out," Clark said as he turned to Lois.

At that Lana paled and quickly stood, nearly knocking her chair over. "I've got to… go. Bye."

Both Lois and Clark watched with confused expressions as Lana nearly ran up to her apartment. "I wonder what _that_ was all about."

Clark shrugged. She seemed to get really uncomfortable right before she bolted."

As soon as Lois and Cark walked out of the Talon, Darren folded up his newspaper and followed them out. When he got outside, neither Lois nor Clark were anywhere on the nearly deserted street. Darren muttered a frustrated string of curses as he got into his car and drove towards the Kent farm, knowing that they would eventually show up there.

Lois sat atop a bale of hay as she watched a shirtless Clark finish his chores. She was broken out of her trance-like state when her cell phone rang. " 'Lo? Hey. You're what- You can't just-" Lois pulled the cell away from her ear when the line went dead. "I can't believe she just hung up on me!"

"Who?"

Lois was about to answer when she saw a vehicle pull up the driveway and stop in front of the barn. "My sister," she said as Lucy got out of her car.

**to be continued...**

_Author's Notes:_ Looky, looky what I found. I was going through some old papers, and I happened to come across chapters 13-17. So, updates will be coming on a regular basis now, since I only have about two chapters to write after that.

Also, a big thanks to everyone who's still reading this. I know it's been forever since I've updated this, but it's back... for real, this time.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any of it.**

**Chapter 14:**

"Lois!" Lucy exclaimed as she ran over to her sister and hugged her tightly for a moment before letting go.

"Hey, Luce."

Lucy eyed Clark up and down, causing him to redden slightly. "You must be Clark," Lucy said with a slight grin.

Before Clark had a chance to answer, Lois grabbed Lucy by the arm and began dragging her towards the house, "C'mon, Luce, let's ask the Kents if you can crash here for a while." 'Put your shirt on, Clark.'

'If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jealous, Lois,' Clark teased.

'In your dreams, farm boy,' Lois looked back over her shoulder and flashed him a lopsided grin.

_**--**_

Once they were far enough away from Clark, Lucy rounded on Lois. "Why didn't you ever mention that Clark looked like _that_?!"

Lois just shrugged.

"He's not seeing anyone, is he?"

Lois narrowed her eyes at Lucy. "Why?"

Lucy looked surprised at Lois' reaction; her eyes widened as the realization dawned on her. "You like him!" Lucy said with a wide grin.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, we're dating." She walked into the house leaving a stunned Lucy to follow moments after.

_**--**_

Clark walked into the kitchen and stopped when he noticed that Lois and Lucy had stopped talking and were staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing," they said simultaneously.

"Your mom said that Lucy can stay here," Lois said quickly.

"What are the sleeping arrangements?" Clark asked as he sat next to Lois.

"I can sleep out in the barn if you don't have enough room," Lucy offered.

Clark shook his head. "No, you can sleep in Lois' room. Lois can sleep in the barn," he said with a grin. Lois rolled her eyes and whacked his arm.

"No, I'll sleep on the couch in the living room, Smallville."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor."

"You can sleep in the barn."

"I'm not sleeping in there either."

'You could always float,' Lois suggested.

"Jeez, you two sound like you're married," Lucy said.

"Wouldn't we be sleeping in the same bed then?"

'So, that's the solution to this?' Clark asked Lois with a raised brow.

'Sounds like it'll work,' Lois grinned.

"Will you two stop with the non-verbals. It's freaking me out," Lucy said in an exasperated tone.

Lois rolled her eyes at her younger sister. "Clark can you show Lucy around? I need to get to work," she said, standing suddenly.

'Try not to break anything today.'

"Shut up, Smallville," Lois snapped at him. She hugged Lucy, "Gotta go; try to stay out of trouble."

Clark snorted causing Lois to roll her eyes and Lucy to stifle a laugh. He caught Lois' hand as she walked by, and she looked up at him, slightly confused. He leaned down slightly, closing the gap between them.

"Coming up for air anytime soon?" Lucy asked after a few minutes.

They broke away slowly, Lucy's comment causing Clark to blush slightly.

_**--**_

Clark gave Lucy the shortened version of the tour around the house.

"I was going to ask Chloe to help me with this, but you might be able to help me more, since you're Lois' sister."

"Help with what?" Lucy asked curiously.

"If you're to help me, Lois can not know about this under _any_ circumstances."

"Not a word. Got it," Lucy affirmed.

_**--**__  
Next time on __**United**__...  
__**--**_

"You're going to WHAT?!" Lucy shreiked. "And you want me to WHAT?!"


End file.
